A library platform for all of Switzerland

As of today, users of academic libraries will have access to more than 40 million books, periodicals, journals and non-book materials and over 3 million digital articles via a single platform. This has been made possible by a collaboration between 470 libraries in Switzerland to create the shared digital library platform Swisscovery.

One search result per title

The new platform is designed to make research and loans easier and more efficient. Every book, every journal and every article has one single entry in the Swisscovery database. This allows users to see at a glance which libraries have the book they are looking for and they can then use the new shared courier service to get the book delivered affordably to the library of their choice, where they can later return it. The majority of the 470 affiliated libraries offer this service to users – some of them even provide it for free.

Thomas Marty is the Managing Director of Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP), which runs Swisscovery. He says: “This close network of libraries puts Switzerland in a globally leading position. In no other country do libraries work together so closely.”

More than a catalogue

Developed at institutions including ETH Zurich, the project was initiated by ETH Library Deputy Director Andreas Kirstein in 2014. He and the other founding members had more than just a joint book search in mind: in addition to the centralised search platform and data management, it should also offer central services such as fee administration, training and mobile services for users. These are all services that the affiliated libraries can book with the SLSP today.

Swisscovery replaces previous library networks and search platforms. Users need to complete a one-time registration for Swisscovery (information and instructions by ETH library), even if they already have an account with one of the affiliated libraries.

This text is based on a SLSP press release.